Lunch outfit



-Feb.26, 1935. c, H, wlLKE 1,992,270

' LUNCH oUTFiT Filed Sept. 14, 1935 Patented Feb, ,26, 19135 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE 1,992,270 LUNCH OUTFIT Clarence H. Wilkes, Schenectady, N. Y.

Application September 14, 1933, Serlal No. 689,479

12 Claims. (Cl. 21919) This invention relates to apparatus for preparing lunches, and is designed more particularly for use in roadside sandwich shops and similar eating places. The present invention relates particularly to means for treatingrolls or buns and has for its object the provision of means whereby rolls may be kept warm and may be toasted on the inside and may be steamed or subjected to warm moisture in order to be rendered palatable after they have lost their original freshness. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawin Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the roll holders.

Figure 3 is a detail plan view, I

Figure 4 is a vertical section, with parts in elevation, showing a slight modification.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates a base which may be of any desired di mensions. The base member is hollow and houses an electric cable which extends through one end of the base, as shown at 2, and is equipped with a plug 3, of any approved form, whereby it may be engaged in a socket to be plugged into the wiring system of the building in which the apparatus is used. At one end of the base an oven 4 is placed thereon and this oven may be of any approved form, a water back or boiler 5 being disposed at the back of the oven and heated from the same electric current, it being understood that the boiler also receives heat from the oven through the rear wall thereof. Extending longitudinally of the base 1, from one end thereof to theoven, is a box or housing 6 within which is disposed electrical conductors 7 which are spliced onto the cable 2 so as to receivecurrent therefrom. At intervals in the conductors 7, branch conductors 8 are connected thereto to extend through a heating tube 9 which rests at its lower end upon a bracket 10 secured on the underside of the top 11 of the box or housing 6, as shown clearly in Figure 2. The heating tube 9 is supported by the bracket 10, as just stated, and rises therefrom through an opening provided therefor in the top 11 of the housing, as will be understood. The tube 9 is preferably of insulating material and at a point near the top of the housing one of the conductors 8 is carried through an opening in the side of the tube while the other conductor 8 is carried to an opening near the upper end of the tube and then passed through said opening, the

intermediate portion of the conductor between the two openings being coiled around the tube, 5 as clearly shown in Figure 2, to form a heating coil 12. A switch 13, indicated conventionally and of any approved form, is interposed in the branch conductors 8 and mounted in the front wall of the box or housing 6, and it may be noted 10 at this point that as many of the heating tubes and the accompanying switches may be provided as may be desired and the dimensions of the apparatus will be varied accordingly. A cover plate 14 is secured upon the top of the box or housing 15 6 and extends from end to end thereof and is removably secured thereto by screws 15, as shown. The cover vplate 14 is provided with openings 16 at proper intervals to accommodate the heater 9, and around each of said openings a perforated tube 17 is secured upon the plate. The tube 17 is slightly tapered upwardly and is adapted to support a roll or bunjas indicated at 18 in Figure 1, the roll or bun 'being first provided with an axial opening whereby it maybe slipped endwise down over the tube. The tube 17 is provided with perforations 19 throughout its longitudinal area so that heat within the tube may escape and penetrate the interior of the supported roll. In-the upper end of the tube is a central opening to receive a teat 20 formed on the upper end of the heating tube 9 so that the supporting tube 17 will be properly centered upon the heater. As shown most clearly in Figure 3, a pipe 21 leads from the water back or boiler 5 to a point preferably midway the ends of the box or housing 6 and there connects with a pipe 22 which extends through the wall of the box and is coupled to a steam manifold 23 which extends longitudinally of the box, as will be understood. Adjacent each bracket 10 and tube 9, supported thereby, an outlet nipple 24 is connected to the manifold and rises therefrom through the top of the box and the corresponding opening 16 to deliver steam or warm moisture into the tube 17, as will be understood. As shown in Figure 3, a pipe 25, connected with any convenient. or suitable source of supply, is coupled to the pipe 22 to deliver'hot air into the pipe for circulation through the apparatus in the same manner as the steam or warm moisture is circulated. The pipe 21 is supplied with a cut-oil? valve 26 and a similar valve 27 is supplied in the hot air pipe 25 so that the fiow of steam or hot air may be cut off, as desired, and

may be regulated according to the judgment of the user under any given circumstances.

It is thought the use of my apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing descrip tion, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. The rolls or buns have axial openings extending into their interiors from one end, in any convenient manner, and are then placed over several tubes 17 for treatment. It has been found that patrons of lunch rooms relish sandwiches which are made by depositing hot sausages in an opening or socket bored into a roll or bun, and the apparatus of the present invention is provided to prepare the rolls having the openings formed therein to receive the sausages and suit able seasoning or condiments. If the bun or roll is fresh and it is desired merely to toast the interior of the same, the bun is supported on the tube 17, as described, and the electric current ermitted to flow to and through the heater 9. The heat will pass through the openings 19 in the outer tube 17 and permeate the interior of the roll so as to quickly produce the desired toasted flavor. While the roll is still warm from the toasting, it is removed and the sausage or other filler is placed therein. If it be desired to keep the rolls warm, in readiness to be instantly supplied to customers. all of the supporting tubes 17 may have rolls fitted thereon and hot air permitted to flow through the pipe 23 and nipple 24 to the interior of the tubes to act upon the interior of the rolls. while, if the rolls show signs of staleness, they may be placed over and upon the perforated tubes and warm moisture admitted thereto so as to soften the interior of the rolls, at the same time warming them so as to renew their freshness. After a suitable interval, the steam or moisture may be cut of! and hot air admitted to the rolls so that excess moisture may be driven therefrom and the rolls maintained warm to suit the desires of customers.

In Figure 4 I have shown a slight modificationof the heater in which the same tube 9 may be employed and is equipped with a teat at its upper end whereby the roll-supporting tube may be centered thereover. The electric conductors 28 are disposed within the tube 9 in this form of the apparatus and do not pass through the wall thereof but are provided with an asbestos covering 29 within the tube, the conducting wires being formed into coils, as indicated at 30, within the asbestos covering. This structure will operate, in all essential respects, in the same man ner as the first-described device but may be preferred in some instances by reason of its more compact form.

As has been said, sandwiches produced by inserting sausage or other edible commodities within an opening formed within a roll are very popular with patrons of roadside stands and similar places. The present invention provides a very simple and inexpensive apparatus whereby the bored rolls may be kept in readiness for prospecthe customers and maintained at a proper temperature and freshened as may be desired. By removing the screws 15, the plate 14 may be lifted from the box 6 and all of the tubes 1''! will be simultaneously withdrawn.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a support, a perforated tube mounted on the support and adapted to extend within an edible article, means for supplying hot air and moisture selectively through the tube to the interior of said article, and a heating element in said tube independent of said means;

2. An apparatus for the purpose set forth cornprising a box having an opening through its top, a bracket secured within the box adjacent said opening, a heating tube resting at its lower end upon said bracket and passing through the opening in the top of the box, a heating coil carried by the tube, a perforated tube surrounding the heating tube and adapted to extend within and support an edible article, means for supplying current to the heating coil, and means for supplying hot air and moisture selectively through the perforated tube to the interior of said article.

3. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a box, a heating tube supported within the box and rising through the top of the same and provided at its upperv extremity with an axial centering teat, and a perforated tube mounted on the top of the box around the heating tube and adapted to extend within and support an edible article, said perforated tube being provided at its upper end with an opening to engage over the centering teat, and means for supplying hot air and moisture selectively through the perforated tube to the interior of said article.

4. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a box, a manifold in said box, a boiler in communication with said manifold for delivering steam thereto, a hot air pipe communicating with the manifold, a roll-supporting perforated tube mounted on the box, and a nipple leading from said manifold through the top of the box into the perforated tube for delivering hot air or warm moisture to the interior of a roll supported by said tube.

5. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a support, a perforated tube mounted on the support and upon which an edible article is adapted to be impaled, an electrically heated toasting element disposed within the tube, and means independent of the toasting element for supplying hot air and moisture selectively through the tube to the interior of an edible article supported thereon.

8. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a support, a perforated tube mounted on the support and upon which an edible article is adapted to be impaled, an electrically heated toasting element centered within the tube, a discharge pipe disposed within said tube at one side of the toasting element, conduits leading from sources of steam and hot air to said discharge pipe. and means for controlling flow of steam and hot air through the conduits and discharge pipe into said tube for discharge therefrom to the interior of the edible article supported on the perforated tube.

7. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a support, a perforated tube mounted on the support and upon which an edible article is adapted to be impaled, a heating unit centered within the perforated tube, a pipe communicating with the interior of the tube, and means independent of the heating unit for supplying hot air and moisture selectively through the pipe into the tube for discharge therefrom to the interior of the edible article supported thereon.

8. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a support having a series of openings therein, a plate secured to the support and having openings registering with the openings in the support, a perforated tube surrounding each opening in the plate and adapted to extend within and support an edible 'article, a heating unit centered within each tube, pipes projecting within the perforated tubes, and means for selectively supplying hot air and moisture through the pipes into the tubes for discharge therefrom to the interior of the edible articles supported on said tubes, the several tubes being removable with the plate from the support as a unit.

9.,An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a casing, perforated tubes supported on the casing and adapted to extend within and support edible articles, heating elements disposed within the tubes, a manifold arranged within the casing and provided with pipes extending within the tubes, and valve controlled conduits connected with the manifold for selectively supplying either hot air or moisture through the manifold and pipes to the interior I of the tubes.

10. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a casing, perforated tubes mounted on the casing and adapted to extend within and support edible articles, a heating unit centered within each tube, a manifold disposed within the casing, pipes leading from the manifold and extending through the casing into the perforated tubes, a boiler having a pipe leading to the manifold, a branch pipe connected with said boiler pipe and leading to a source of hot air supply, and valves disposed in the boiler pipe and branch pipe whereby to control the admission of either st'eam or hot air through the manifold into said perforated tubes.

l1.- An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a support, a casing mounted on the support, a plate secured to the topo! the easing, spaced vertically disposed perforated tubes secured to the plate and adapted to receive and support edible articles, the upper ends of said tubes being closed and provided with centering openings, heating elements disposed within the tubes and having their upper ends provided with centering'tears fitting in the adjacent centering openings, brackets supporting the lower ends of the heating elements, a manifold'disposed within the casing, branch pipes leading from the manifold and discharging into the lower ends of the perforated tubes, and means for supplying either heat or moisture to the manifold.

12. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a support, an oven resting upon one end portion of the support, a casing resting upon the support and extending from the oven to the other end of the support, a boiler resting upon said support and disposed against the rear of said oven whereby the boiler is heated from the oven, perforated tubes mounted on the top of the casing and extending upwardly therefrom to extend within and support edible arti-' cles, heatingfelements disposed within the tubes, a manifold housed within the casing and pro vided with pipes extending within the perforated tubes, a pipe forming a connection. between the boiler and manifold, a branch pipe connected to the boiler pipe and leading to a so ce of hot air supply, and valves disposed in e boiler pipe and branch pipe respectively for permitting the passage of either steam or hot air through the manifold into the perforated tubes.

CLARENCE H. WILKES. in. 3.]. 

